NEWS YOU CAN USE

Job Opening - St. Martins is currently looking for a part-time employee to assist in mowing rights-of-way, filling potholes, replacing traffic signs, and other misc. duties pertaining to streets or parks. Ideally, this employee could help plow snow in the winter. Contact City Hall at 893-6465 or City Administrator Doug Reece at 230-9105 for more information or to request a job application.

Business 50 West Improvements - St. Martins is currently working on plans to improve Business 50 West to make it safer for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. We will be applying for grant funds from Cole County and from Modot to add to money St. Martins has been saving for this project. Current plans are to overlay Business 50 West and add an 8-foot paved shoulder with a rumble strip, bike lane, pedestrian-friendly walking area and ADA improvements in both directions. While we would love to add sidewalk, curb & gutter in this project, the cost to do this is not attainable without either a tax increase and/or financing which we want to avoid.

St. Martins is seeking additional public input, comments and suggestions on this project.

Please send comments to City Hall at cstmartins@centurylink.net or to City Administrator Doug Reece at rdoug48@gmail.com

First Responder Day at Niekamp Park - The first annual First Responder Day will be held at Niekamp Park on July 7 for children up to and including grade 6. The event will take place from 9 am to noon. Refreshments will be provided. Kids will be given a chance to meet and interact with personnel from the Cole County Sheriff's Dept and other first responders. Mark your calendar and plan to bring your kids, grandkids, etc to Niekamp for a fun, educational event.

St. Martins Receives Award - The Midwestern Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, which represents Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota, has

presented the City of St. Martins with Harry J. Banker Gold Leaf Award for outstanding Arbor Day activities. Mayor Eugene Strobel and City Administrator Doug Reece were guests at an ISA luncheon held in Overland Park, Kansas on February 1 where Mayor Strobel was presented with a plaque commemorating the honor.

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​​BUCKLE UP PHONE DOWN Challenge - The St. Martins Board of Aldermen unanimously voted to support the Buckle Up Phone Down Challenge proposed jointly by the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety and the Missouri Dept of Transportation. Missouri currently ranks 41st nationally in seat belt usage. The following percentages explain why many Missouri leaders are supporting this challenge:

In a crash, unbelted drivers have a 1 in 30 chance of being killed. Drivers wearing a seat belt have a 1 in 1,237 chance of being killed.

If you text and drive, you have a 50% greater chance of being involved in a crash and are 23 times more likely to be involved in a critical incident. Crashes involving cellphone usage increased 16% in 2015 according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

St. Martins elected officials urge all St. Martins residents to buckle up and put your cell phone down.